To build a dining space that’s comfortable and beautiful, look to timeless furniture styles, says interior designer Rukmini Patel
The Secret to a Dining Room With Personality? Start With One Great Piece
hat is a dining room without a dining table? It's the piece that anchors a room and invites family and guests to gather and enjoy each other's company. That's why investing in a table that is functional, stylish, and will last a lifetime is critical to building a proper dining space — one piece that you can center the rest of the room around.
“The dining table is a space where you can put away your phones, reconnect, and spend quality time making memories,” says interior designer Rukmini Patel, but to create that feeling, you need to design a room that makes everyone feel at ease.
It starts with the table, then everything else can be built around it. For this dining space, Rukmini chose the Oaklee Extendable Dining Table — a piece that mixes timeless design qualities and materials with a modern sensibility.
Oak Furnitureland’s ethos is to create quality furniture that lasts a lifetime, making it easier to find that one great piece.
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The dining table is a space where you can put away your phones, reconnect, and spend quality time making memories
Entertaining spaces require a certain degree of fluidity, but comfort is key. For everyday use, you need a dining table that’s large enough to accommodate your family, but when guests come, extendable tables such as the Oaklee ensures everyone has enough room to relax and enjoy the occasion.
After that, it all comes down to how you sit around it. “I think it’s really important to have that seating that invites you to linger longer,” Rukmini says. “You are more likely to enjoy yourself when you are comfortable.”
The soft curve and upholstery in styles like the Otis chair, pictured, offer that sense of easy relaxation. “They’re curved, they’re comfortable, and they soften the straight lines of the dining table,” Rukmini says.
If you need overflow seating once you’re extended, consider adding a bench into your dining room. “A bench can double up as extra seating, or be used against the wall to style a vase or some lovely books,” Rukmini advises.
When considering the rest of the room, don't forget that a dining room can include more furniture than just the table — after all, it all starts with the table, but it doesn’t end there. Sideboards and display cabinets can really elevate a dining space, especially when you have the same tone of wood throughout the space, like the matching Oaklee Sideboard.
I think it’s really important to have that seating that invites you to linger longer. You are more likely to enjoy yourself when you are comfortable
Sideboards and display cabinets provide both clever dining room storage and a place to show off decor pieces you've collected on your favourite holiday, pieces handed down from generation to generation, or more artisanal elements.
A well-designed dining room with ample personality starts with finding those core pieces that transcend design eras — this is what brings home Oak Furnitureland's ethos of longevity and timeless design. “Look for classic styles that can’t be pinpointed to a specific period,” Rukmini says, “this is what gives them longevity and that timeless feel.” With well-crafted, solid oak and solid wood furniture, you can have confidence that your big ticket items will last and begin building an entertaining space you and your family can enjoy for years to come.
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Oaklee 6-8 Seater Extendable Dining Table
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Otis Dining Chair
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Oaklee Bench
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Oaklee Large
Sideboard
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Mayfair Rug
For more inspiration, design ideas, and furniture collections, visit Oak Furnitureland